Crazy Rich Asians Book Club Kit
Book Club Kit for Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan includes book club discussion guide and party menu.
Our Summer Book List brings us Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan for August.
I have been looking for the right time to bring in a male author for our group.
The gender of our author of the month is usually the last thing I look at when choosing a title but someone once pointed out that all our books have been written by women.
I’ve been quietly on the look out for just the right male author for our pick.
I saw that People Magazine described Crazy Rich Asians with:
“There’s rich, there’s filthy rich, and then there’s crazy rich. . . . A Pride and Prejudice-like send-up.” and finally thought now would be a great time to let a man into the Peanut Blossom Book Club Fold.
Peanut Blossom Book Club
This book was our official August 2016 pick for the Peanut Blossom Book Club.
Want to see what we’re reading today? Check out our book club book list here.
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This book club pick is one of the awesome books from our second year of book club.
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What is Crazy Rich Asians About?
“When New Yorker Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home and quality time with the man she hopes to marry. But Nick has failed to give his girlfriend a few key details. One, that his childhood home looks like a palace; two, that he grew up riding in more private planes than cars; and three, that he just happens to be the country’s most eligible bachelor.
On Nick’s arm, Rachel may as well have a target on her back the second she steps off the plane, and soon, her relaxed vacation turns into an obstacle course of old money, new money, nosy relatives, and scheming social climbers.”
Plan a Movie Night
I love picking book club books that have movie adaptations. Invite your friends to join you for popcorn and a movie after you finish the book.
I love the Crazy Rich Asians movie, have you seen it? You can watch the trailer here:
Crazy Rich Asians Book Club Questions
I believe the best book club questions to spark a lively discussion in your group help readers make personal connections to the story.
You can read about how to write the best book club questions on your own here, but hopefully these will get you started!
Question 1:
What did you think of this month’s pick?? It’s definitely a little different than our usual fare. Had you heard of this book? Do you think you would have picked it up on your own?
Question 2:
Did you know about the financial boom in contemporary Asia before you read the novel?
Were you surprised by the grand depictions of wealth in the book?
Question 3:
Author Kevin Kwan has mentioned in interviews that he is inspired by Jane Austen, Edith Wharton, and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novels portraying the lifestyles of the filthy rich.
Do you see any parallels between their books and Crazy Rich Asians?
Question 4:
How do you interpret the title of the novel? Are the characters “Crazy Rich” or “Crazy and Rich”?
Question 5:
Crazy Rich Asians has an extensive list of characters requiring a family tree at the beginning of the book and relies on copious amounts of footnotes within the text.
How did you feel about those two things?
Did they help give detail to the story or were they a distraction for you?
Question 6:
Who were your favorite characters from the book? Did you relate to anyone in particular or enjoy one plot line more than another?
Question 7:
Do you think Nick should have warned Rachel before she first flew to Singapore? What could he have said or done differently?
Do you think she would have still come to visit if she had been prepared for what was ahead?
Question 8:
What was your initial impression of Colin and Araminta?
Did the events of their bachelor/bacholorette parties change your opinion? How about their wedding?
Question 9:
The book features several instances of mothers trying to control and navigate their children’s futures.
Do you think this is unique to the Asian community or do you see examples of it in your own life?
Who’s best interests are the moms of Crazy Rich Asians looking out for?
Question 10:
Nick offers to Rachel a life that will never include his family again. Can we ever really escape our family or family history?
If she took him up on that offer, how do you think it would play out?
Question 11:
Food could almost be considered a character itself in this novel.
Were you familiar with any of the dishes mentioned?
How adventurous are you in trying new cuisine?
Question 12:
If you could spend one day living the Crazy Rich Asian lifestyle, would you?
Which part would you enjoy experiencing the most? The clothes, the food, the pampering, the opulent homes, the luxury cars, something else?
Book Club Party Menu
For the book club party menu, serve the most elegant appetizers you can think of and splurge on bottle of sparkling wine.
I’d start with a batch of mini crab cakes and remoulade sauce.
You could serve roast beef crostini and / or Italian brushcetta al pomodoro with a baguette turned into homemade crostini.
My Oriental chicken layer dip with crackers would be a fun themed pick, too.
You May Also Enjoy
If you enjoyed this book, you’d likely enjoy these other fun book club picks from through the years: